Santorini

Santorini is a Greek wine area located on the Santorini archipelago in Greece's southern Cyclades islands. Wine has been produced on the island since antiquity, but it was during the Middle Ages, thanks to the influence of the Republic of Venice, that Santorini wine became recognized internationally. The Italian influence may still be found in current Santorini winemaking: the most renowned Tuscan sweet wine, Vin Santo, is named after Santorini's Vinsanto/Visanto (labeled such to differentiate it from the Tuscan wine). It is produced in the passito manner from sun-dried grapes after harvest. Santorini also makes blended and rosé wine from white grapes including Athiri, Aidini, and Assyrtiko, as well as red grapes like Mandelari.

Santorini wines were widely exported throughout the Mediterranean and Europe under Venetian dominance, with this enormous commercial network and marine control. Because of its sweetness and high alcohol content, the wine was especially coveted for its ability to endure the month-long sea trips. Santorini wines were so highly regarded during this period that when the Ottoman Turks invaded the region in 1579, they continued to allow the uninterrupted commerce of the wine despite the fact that their Muslim faith normally prohibited alcohol. When the Russian Orthodox Church designated Santorini wine as the church's official Eucharistic wine, the Ottomans permitted the island's growers to trade freely with Russia, even throughout the two empires' repeated battles.

Santorini is most renowned for its indigenous white grape varietals Assyrtiko, Athiri, and Aidani, while there are also wines made from foreign species as well as indigenous red grapes such as Mandilaria and Mavrotragano. Around 1,200 hectares of land are under vine, but the continual conflict with Santorini's tourism sector threatens to reduce this limited amount even more.

Location: Greece